Stand
by LadyYuina
Summary: [COMPLETE]Something CrimsonPen531 wrote perked my interest so I decided to write something branching from it. I wondered how Soubi disappeared, and it was never explained so I wrote one myself. Oneshot


Stand

By: LadyYuina

**A/N: With the permission of the original author, Crimson-Pen531, she has graciously allowed me to post up my version of how I could have tweaked/changed her song-fic titled, "Stand". (In all actuality, I am mainly working on the part where she said Soubi disappeared from Ritsuka's life, and she never explained it so that got me wondering for a lil' bit. XD) The lyrics she used was from a song called, 'Then You Stand' by a band called 'Rascal Flatts', which I will sadly say I have never heard of. **

Ritsuka could remember clearly what he was seeing when he watched Soubi fight along side him; it was an exhilarating feeling and he felt so alive and deathly afraid at the same time. However, he wasn't sure if he could come to terms with the fact that Soubi was now gone, leaving him to stand alone.

--------------------

"Soubi, why are you looking at the clouds? Is there something interesting?" Ritsuka asked.

"Not particularly."

"Then why stare?"

"Because I enjoy doing this. You should do it every once in a while as well - you might learn something." Ritsuka snorted and crossed his arms out of annoyance. "Are you angry with me, Ritsuka?"

"No. Don't ask stupid questions."

Soubi merely smiled and looked back up at the clouds.

--------------------

Alas, that was the last time Ritsuka saw Soubi before he disappeared from his life completely. Many years had passed since then, because Ritsuka was now nineteen and living the life of any average young adult.

_You feel like a candle in a hurricane  
Just like a picture with a broken frame  
Alone and helpless  
Like you've lost your fight  
But you'll be alright_

Today was a cold, breezy morning and the wind bit at Ritsuka's cheeks when he walked outside of his two room apartment to get the weekly newspaper. One single word caught his eye on the front cover - the word "Loveless" was imprinted there. Without any hesitations he swept the newspaper up in one arm and bolted for his apartment like his life depended on it. Somehow . . . someway, he found it oddly strange that he was compelled to read the newspaper immediately. The word "Loveless" wouldn't leave his mind.

With much trepidation Ritsuka managed to seat himself and get in a comfortable position on his one-man couch before unfolding the paper. He stared at the word "Loveless" for a very long time; it apparently was the spotlight of the newspaper for that day. He could see the words and a small picture below it, but he was so afraid to glance down.

_Cause when push comes to shove  
You taste what you're made of  
You might bend, till you break  
Cause its all you can take  
On your knees you look up  
Decide you've had enough  
You get mad you get strong  
Wipe your hands shake it off  
Then you stand, Then you stand_

"Hesitation should not be the answer, Ritsuka. Do not be afraid."

Snapping his head up he swore he heard someone say that to him. It sounded like the person was right in front of him as he spoke, yet there was no one there. Deciding to consider the fact that he was probably getting a little paranoid the midnight-haired youth looked down once more. The small picture situated on the bold print of the word "Loveless" was none other than Agatsuma Soubi.

"Soubi?" the boy said to himself. His mouth went slack as he stared long and hard at the picture.

Reading, he tried to digest everything piece by piece:

Resident of Kabara Prefecture, Apartment Complex 333, Asahi Kumiko has found the mutilated body of a young blond-haired Japanese man behind one of the large trash bins situated not too far from where she was residing. As the police stated, he was missing an arm and both of his legs. No suspects were found due to the cleanliness of the wounds, and the intoxicating smell of a chemical well known to destroy the human skin. It appears all evidence of a homicide will be delayed until further notice . . .

_Life's like a novel  
With the end ripped out  
The edge of a canyon  
With only one way down  
Take what you're given before its gone  
Start holding on, keep holding on_

Ritsuka dropped the newspaper out of horror - he could no longer read any more of it. In his mind he could only wonder who would kill Soubi in such a way. Why were his legs and arm cut off? To what use were they to the killer? And the most important question Ritsuka had was: why did he leave me?

--------------------

"Say, Ritsuka, don't you ever sometimes feel like you're being watched?"

Confused, Ritsuka looked at Soubi as if he were crazy. "I've told you many times before; and yet, you continue to ask me stupid questions."

He laughed before saying, "I'm sorry."

"Although you've made me wonder why you think you're being watched . . . Why do you think that, Soubi?" The blonde merely shrugged and said nothing in response. "Soubi, don't give me the silent treatment because I want a answer."

"It's because I have none to offer that I am not answering you."

--------------------

_Cause when push comes to shove  
You taste what you're made of  
You might bend, till you break  
Cause its all you can take  
On your knees you look up  
Decide you've had enough  
You get mad you get strong  
Wipe your hands shake it off  
Then you stand, Then you stand_

"Kabara Prefecture . . . that's not too far from here." He looked to the clock to see what time it was. "If I start walking there now it won't be too dark."

As expected, Ritsuka couldn't get anywhere near the scene of the crime where Soubi's body was found. There were yellow tags tapped up around the area clearly stating that there'd be no entry allowed. Then suddenly someone from behind him spoke; thus causing him to turn around.

"Seems like you're nothing without Agatsuma Soubi. Hmmm, didn't he leave you three years ago?"

"Who are you?" Ritsuka tensed when the other person closer to him, his golden-yellow orbs burning with desire.

"Who am I, you ask?" A smirk came to his face just as easily. He pulled out a small pocket knife. "Who do you think I am, Ritsuka?"

_Every time you get up  
And get back in the race  
One more small piece of you  
Starts to fall into place_

The only thing the he could think of doing was to run so that was what he did. Even with a head start he could hear the other man hot on his trails, in fact, he was so close behind Ritsuka that he could almost grab him if he reached out an arm. What happened next was quite unexpected - for one brief second Ritsuka thought he saw a streak of blonde hurtle past him. A loud cry from the other man made him stop abruptly.

"Aaauuuhhh!"

Stand strong. Stand strong in everything you do.

_Cause when push comes to shove  
You taste what you're made of  
You might bend, till you break  
Cause its all you can take  
On your knees you look up  
Decide you've had enough  
You get mad you get strong  
Wipe your hands shake it off  
Then you stand, Then you stand_

The End . . .


End file.
